United Rugby Championship: Sexton absent for Munster's derby meeting with Leinster

Sexton returned from injury against Gloucester last weekend

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has not been included in Leinster's matchday squad for their festive derby against Munster at Thomond Park on Monday.

Sexton returned from injury to play 20 minutes off the bench during last week's Heineken Champions Cup win over Gloucester.

Leinster name 10 of the starting XV from that match, while Munster are full strength for their home game.

Leinster sit top of the URC and Munster in an unaccustomed lowly eighth place.

For Leinster, Hugo Keenan starts at full-back, with Jordan Larmour and James Lowe on the wings. Larmour makes his first start since early October, after returning from injury last week.

Garry Ringrose captains the team once more, and is partnered in the centre by Jamie Osborne.

Ross Byrne starts at fly-half, and is joined at scrum-half by Nick McCarthy, who makes his first start of the season.

In the front row, Andrew Porter is joined by Dan Sheehan and Cian Healy. Ryan Baird and Joe McCarthy form the second-row partnership for the first time together.

There is a fully changed back-row from last week's win, with Rhys Ruddock, Scott Penny and Max Deegan completing the line-up.

Munster have made two changes from the side that defeated Northampton in the Champions Cup.

Shane Daly and Dave Kilcoyne come into the side, with Mike Haley one of those dropping out after being unable to train fully following last week's bruising encounter. Jeremy Loughman also misses out after picking up a knock in training.

Daly starts at full-back, with Calvin Nash and Keith Earls keeping their places on either flank.

Jack Crowley and Antoine Frisch continue their centre partnership with Conor Murray and Joey Carbery in the half-backs.

Prop Dave Kilcoyne makes his first start since October and joins Niall Scannell and John Ryan in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne in the second row.

Jack O'Donoghue, captain Peter O'Mahony and Gavin Coombes complete the side.

Munster: Daly, Nash, Frisch, Crowley, Earls; Carbery, Murray; Kilcoyne, Scannell, Ryan, Kleyn, Beirne, O'Donoghue, O'Mahony, Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Kiran McDonald, Alex Kendellen, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Patrick Campbell.

Leinster: Keenan; Larmour, Ringrose, Osborne, Lowe, Byrne, McCarthy, Porter, Sheehan, Healy, Baird, McCarthy, Ruddock, Penny, Deegan.

Replacements: McKee, Milne, Abdaladze, Molony, Conan, McGrath, Byrne, Turner.